Gummed fastener for packages and the like



masmm KRUEGER GUMMED FASTENER FOR PAcK' May v AGES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 14

237 mm'vm Patented May 2?, Ti

H NETED T AYES essee ears-er FE-i 65.

THEODORE H. KRUEGEB, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GUMMED FASTENER FOR PACKAGES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed. August 1.4, 1917. Serialv No. 186,093.

tion.

The present invention relates to a novel form of st cker which is especially adapted for use 111 sealing envelopes, packages and the like, the object of theinvention being to provide an inexpensive package sea l by means of which an envelope or package can be securely closed without the necessity of using twine, and which provides for the opening of the package for postal inspection as is required by the postal regulations relating to the wrapping of second class matter. I y

The old method of preparing a package for mailing is to wrap it with paper and then go through a dozen or more operations of picking up twine, tying the end knot, winding the twine three to six times around the bundle, tying five or six hitch and closing knots, reaching for a knife or scissors, cutting the ends of the twi-nefand laying down the scissors. Not only do all of these operations consume much time, but the cost of the twine is considerable, an unnecessary amount of wrapping paper is generally used, and the twine is frequently in the way when applying the address label. It will be understood that this crude and wasteful method of wrapping parcel post packages is not at all adapted for use by large mail order houses where the loss of time and money incident to the excessiveuse of twine and ov'erwragping would constitute a very considerable item of expense.

The object of the present invention has accordingly been to provide an inexpensive package seal which can be quickly applied to the package by a single operation and will securely close the same without the use of twine, at the same time allowing for postal inspection. These package seals also have the advantage that they can be handled individually without soiling or gumming the fingers, and can also be readily handled in bulk and used to advantage in connection with a dispensing and moistening device, such as that illustrated in my Patent No. 1,194,752. v

description and accompanying With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, -the novel features thereof'being'point I ed out in the appended claims.

For a full funderstanding o f the invention, reference is to be had to the fol-lowing drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan View of a package seal constructed in accordance with the invention. v

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the same.

Figure 3 is a plan view showing a modi-' fied form of package seal.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the package seal shown by Fig. '3.

Figure 5 is "a plan view of a further modifica't'ron of the package seal.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view 1 through the package seal shown by Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a plan view of still another form of the package seal.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional View through the package seal shown by Fig. 7.

Figure 9 is a plan View of still another form of package Seal. j

Figure 10 is a longitudinal sectional'viewv through the package seal shown by Fig. 9. Figure 11 is aplan view of a still further form of package seal.

Figure 12 is a longitudinal sectional view through the package seal shown by Fig. 11.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in thefollowing descriptionand indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same referencecharacters.

All of the dili'erent embodiments of the invention which I have illustrated show a package seal formed of two independent strips which are arranged in alineme'nt with each other and have their inner ends substantially abutting, said inner ends being rei'nforced and comparatively stiff, while the outer ends are comparatively thin and pliable and are gummed on one side so that they can be easily applied to a packageafter be ing moistened, the stiff inner ends being detachably connected and held against relative movement'so that the device can be readily connection with a moistening and dispensing device such as that shown by Patent No. 1,194,752, and applied to a package with a minimum number of operations and in the shortest possible period of time. The gummed outer ends of the strips must be rel atively more pliable to admit of the device be ing successfully used upon irregular packages, since it will be obvious that it would entail the loss of much timeto stick a stiff sheet upon an irregular surface, and that even at the best the results would not be satisfactory. The inner ends must be reinforced and comparatively stiffer than the other ends in order to prevent the strips from pulling apart at the detachable connection between the same. These characteristics are all very essential to a successful package seal, and are all embodied in. an admirable manner in the present invention.

In all of the figures of the drawing, the numerals 1 designate two independent strips which may be formed of any suitable material such as tough paper, and which are arranged in alinement with each other with their inner ends substantially abutting. The outer ends of the strips are provided with a layer 2 of adhesive and are comparatively pliable so that they can be easily applied to an irregular or uneven surface, where it would be very diiiicult to make a stiff gummed sheet adhere at all. The inner ends of the strips 1 are reinforced at 8 and are comparatively stiff. The reinforcement may be of any suitable nature, and is conveniently accomplished by applying a second thickness of material to the strip, the two thicknesses being secured together by a suitable adhesive. his reinforcing thickness may either be a separate sheet of material, as indicated by Fig. 2, or a returned end of the original strip, as indicated by Fig. 8. The reinforced inner ends 3 of the independent strips are free of adhesive, so that each pack age fastener or seal has an intermediate Zone which is free of adhesive, and end zones which are provided with adhesive for the purpose of sticking the fasteners upon the packages. This arrangement enables the fasteners to be easily handled without soiling or gumming the hands by grasping them at the ungummed middle zones.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the two strips 1 are shown as connected at their inner ends by a pair of wire stables 4, the backs of the staples spanning the joint between the strips, while the end of the staples penetrate the reinforced portions 3 of the strips and are returned into a clamping engagement there with. These wire staples thus hold the two strips securely together and in such a manner that they are held substantially against relative movement and can be handled as aunit, although by prying up either set of returned ends of the staples 4 the strips can be separated for the purpose of opening the package to inspect the contents thereof.

Figs. 3 and 4: show a very similar construction in which the two strips 1 are connected by a single centrally disposed sheet metal staple 5, the back of the staple span-- ning or bridging the joint between the strips, while the ends of the staple penetrate the reinforced portions of the strips and are bent into a clamping engagement therewith. The strips are thus firmly connected and held in alinement with each other so that the fastener can be handled as a unit, although by bending either one of the returned ends of the staples 5 upwardly the package can be @11 opened for the purpose of inspecting the con tents thereof.

Tn Figs. 5 and (i the reinforced inner ends 3 of the strips 1 are returned and secured to the strips in such a manner as to provide loops 6, said loops being adapted to receive a suitable tie member such as a wire 7. This wire may initially have a e -shaped formation so that the arms thereof can be readily inserted through the loops, the pro je ting ends of the arms being then fastened together by coiling or twisting, as indicated at 8, and bent backwardly at 9 into engage ment with the strips so as to assist in hold iug them in alinement with each other. It will be obvious that the two strips are held securely together, although the wire or tie men'iber 7 can be readily removed at any time when it may be desired to inspect the contents of the package.

Tn Figs. T and 8 a separate thickness or strip 10 bridges the joint between the strips 1 and overlaps the reinforced inner ends 3 thereof. The ends of the separate thick ness 10 are secured by transversely extend ing wire staples 11 to the reinforced inner of the strips, thereby securely coir ends 0 nesting the strips and holding tnem sul stantially against movement relative to each other, although by bending up the ends of either of the staples and removing it the two elements of the fastener can be temporarily disconnected to open the package.

A. similar construction is shown by Figs. 9 and it) in which ordinary pins 12 are substituted for the wire staples 11. These pins serve in the same manner as the wire staples to lock the strips together and hold them against relative movement, although by removing either of the pins the strips or elements of the seal can be separated to permit of opening the package.

In Figs. 11 and 12 a separate thickness 13 overlaps the reinforced inner ends 3 of the strips, being provided at each extremity with a pair of oppositely projecting lateral arms 14 which are arranged to enter and interlock with correspondingly disposed longitudinal slits 15 in the reinforced ends 3 of the strips 1. The two strips are thus ill) held securely together so that the fastener or seal can be handled as a unit when applying the same to a package, although the reinforced ends of the strips are releasably engaged by the lateral tongues 14 of the overlapping thickness 13 so that the parts can be separated at any time when it is desired to open the package and inspect the contents thereof.

The package fastener is extremely inexpensive in its construction, since the strips can be made of paper, and it provides a strong closure for packages, entirely eliminating the necessity of employing twine, which is not only expensive and difficult to apply, but also objectionable for the reason that it has a tendency to catch upon other packages and also to injure the edges of some articles, such as books, when used in wrapping packages containingthe same. The inner ends are reinforced and comparatively stiff so as to prevent the elements of the fastener from pulling apart and provide the necessary stiffness at their intermediate zone for enabling the fastener to be easily handied, while the gummed outer ends are sufficiently pliable to insure adequate adhesion, even though used upon irregular and uneven surfaces.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As a new articl of manufacture, a package fastener consisting of two independent thin flexible strips arranged in alinement with each other and having the inner ends thereof substantially abutting, the outer ends being provided with adhesive for attachment to two elements to be releasably fastened together, and separate means for detachably connecting the abutting inner ends and holding them against substantial relative movement.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a package fastener consisting of two independent thin flexible strips arranged in alinement with each other with the inner ends substan tially abutting, said inner ends being reinforced and free of adhesiv while the outer ends are pliable and provided with adhesive for attachment to two elements to be releasably held together, and separate means for detachably connecting the reinforced abutting inner ends of the strips and holding them against substantial relative movement.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a package fastener consisting of two independent thin flexible strips arranged in alinement with each other and having the inner ends thereof substantially abutting, said inner ends being reinforced while the outer ends are comparatively pliable andprovided with a layer of adhesive for attachment to two elements to be releasably held together, and means including a stiff metal staple for detachably connecting the reinforced inner ends of the strips and holding them against substantial relative movement.

4:. As a new article of manufacture, a package fastener consisting of two independent thin flexible strips arranged in alinement with each other and having their in ner ends substantially abutting, said inner ends being reinforced while the outer ends are comparatively pliable and provided with a layer of adhesive for attachment to two elements to be releasably held together, and j a metal staple having the back thereof spanning the joint between the strips whilethe ends thereof penetrate the reinforced ends of the strips and are returned into a clamping engagement therewithQ 5. As a new article of manufacture, a selfcontained separable sticker-fastening comprising two gummed pieces of pliable material with flap-portions meeting edge to edge in the same flat plane, and a metal clip lying flat against said flap-portions bridging the edges thereof and stapled thereto.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a selfcontained separable sticker-fastening comprising two gummed pieces of pliable material with flap-portions meeting edge to edge in the same fiat plane, and a flat metal clip lying against said flap-portion bridging the edges thereof and piercing said flap-portion and having tongues clamped thereover.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a selfcontained separable sticker-fastening comprising two gummed pieces of pliable material with flap-portions meeting edge to edge in the same fiat plane, and a fiat metal clip lying against the inner side of both flap-portions bridging the edges thereof and piercing said flap-portions and having tongues clamped thereover.

THEODORE H. KRUEGE-R. 

